1.
full-time housewife; stay-at-home wife
A married woman who does not have paid employment outside the home and devotes herself to household management and childcare.
母は専業主婦だった。
My mother was a full-time housewife.
専業主婦の数は年々減っている。
The number of full-time housewives is decreasing year by year.
子育てが落ち着いたので、専業主婦から社会復帰したいと思っている。
Now that childcare has settled down, I'm thinking about returning to work from being a full-time housewife.
USAGE:
A compound of 専業 (exclusive occupation) and 主婦 (housewife). Commonly discussed in the context of changing social roles, work-life balance, and demographics in Japan. The male equivalent is 専業主夫 (stay-at-home husband), written with a different kanji for the last character.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 専業主婦世帯 (single-income household with a stay-at-home wife)
- 専業主婦から働きに出る (to enter the workforce after being a housewife)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 主婦: housewife — broader term that includes both working and non-working wives
- 共働き: dual-income couple — the opposite household arrangement